Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, in East China's Jiangsu province, has adjusted its industrial structure in recent years and provided enthusiastic support for the development of the area's traditional agricultural industries.

The city has also encouraged farmers to implement environmentally sustainable practices by mixing cultivation and planting systems. One example of this is adding crayfish to lotus ponds, which helps to enhance the breathability of the mud at the bottom of the pond. Meanwhile, the lotus roots and other aquatic plants purify the water and provide food for the crayfish, achieving a double win.

Through mixed cultivation, over 400 yuan ($57.3) in feed cost can be saved for every 667 square meters of pond.

"The crayfish can reproduce naturally once being stocked with juvenile crayfish," said Zhang Chenggang, secretary of the Party branch in Xinshe village, Duntou town. With considerable crayfish output this year, Zhang is confident about the future of mixed agriculture in local villages.

In addition to the mixed cultivation of crayfish and lotus roots, Hai'an's Xujiazhuang village has developed a shared cultivation system involving rice and ducks, with troublesome insects and weeds in the rice fields providing food for the birds. The mixed cultivation methods not only play a role in biological control, but also cut the cost of planting rice and breeding ducks, greatly increasing economic benefits.

After assessing the advantages and rationally planning the city's industrial development direction, Hai'an has adopted ecologically sustainable mixed cultivation methods to promote agricultural efficiency and increase farmers' incomes.

Villages in Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, have adopted environmentally friendly mixed cultivation methods to promote agricultural efficiency and increase farmers' incomes. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]